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Emily DickinsonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Analyzing Emily Dickinson’s poetry for themes of “hope, encouragement, love, sympathy, [and] kindness,” Anila Jamil and Saira Hassan state that Dickinson addresses the subject of optimism “in a way that inspires reader [sic] and the poet herself to be motivated by her optimism” and to make them “strong and powerful against despair, hopelessness and desolation” (Hassan, Saira, and Anila Jamil. “Representation of Philosophy and Theme of Hope in Dickinson’s Poetry.” British Journal of Education, 2015). In “Hope is a strange invention,” “hope” is described as “never wearing out” (Line 4). Optimism can be defined as a sense of hopefulness about the future. In Dickinson’s poem, hope never ends; it is self-sustaining and regenerative. Hope is in constant motion, “In unremitting action” (Line 3). By calling the action “unremitting,” the speaker implies that hope never gives up. Hope is always looking ahead at the end goal. “Action” implies that there is constant work being done to achieve that goal. Similarly, the speaker describes hope’s “unique momentum” (Line 7). The use of the word “momentum” implies forward movement or energy. Hope is a force constantly pushing onward in pursuit of some desire. As with the reference to “unremitting action,” “unique momentum” illustrates how hope never ceases.
By Emily Dickinson
A Bird, came down the Walk
Emily Dickinson
A Clock stopped—
Emily Dickinson
A narrow Fellow in the Grass (1096)
Emily Dickinson
Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Emily Dickinson
"Faith" is a fine invention
Emily Dickinson
Fame Is a Fickle Food (1702)
Emily Dickinson
"Hope" Is the Thing with Feathers
Emily Dickinson
I Can Wade Grief
Emily Dickinson
I Felt a Cleaving in my Mind
Emily Dickinson
I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain
Emily Dickinson
If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking
Emily Dickinson
If I should die
Emily Dickinson
If you were coming in the fall
Emily Dickinson
I heard a Fly buzz — when I died
Emily Dickinson
I'm Nobody! Who Are You?
Emily Dickinson
Much Madness is divinest Sense—
Emily Dickinson
Success Is Counted Sweetest
Emily Dickinson
Tell all the truth but tell it slant
Emily Dickinson
The Only News I Know
Emily Dickinson
There is no Frigate like a Book
Emily Dickinson